


Having That Chance

by AlternateCode



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon Universe, I Don't Even Know, M/M, This Thing Wrote Itself So Don't Bother Trying To Understand It, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2018-05-21
Packaged: 2019-05-08 18:39:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14699961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlternateCode/pseuds/AlternateCode
Summary: Akechi Goro finds himself somehow stuck in the past. He comes to a decision to see his mother, but ends up meeting someone else instead.





	1. However It May Be

**Author's Note:**

> This was written on a whim and on it's own so expect nothing. Like 99% of this isn't canon in the least. For some reason I wanted to write someone meeting baby Yusuke because of that screenshot preview and then this happen. And fuck no the "possibly implied yusuke/goro" isn't referring to child Yusuke. Gross. 
> 
> Anyway, don't expect any kind of follow up from this but I can't deny the possibility I might write some kind of sequel or...? IDK.
> 
> EDIT: I take it back. I'm writing more. OTL

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having comes to terms which his arrival in the past, Goro sets out to meet his mother but ends up meeting someone else instead.

Goro side stepped, dodging the excited children bounding down the street. His gaze followed them as they ran right into the sweets shop he passed earlier. For a moment, he stood there in a light daze as his eyes couldn't break away from the name. He recognized it. Familiar, in a sense, but never actually been inside before. He wanted to, as a child. It wasn't possible now, or rather the future now. It was a popular shop when he was little but eventually shut down when he was in middle school.

Seeing it here reinforces that he is, indeed, stuck in the past.

A long sigh escaped him. This whole situation was giving him anxiety. The last thing he remembers is waving goodbye to Kitagawa Yusuke, having had bumped into the artist that afternoon. They somehow had talked for hours which led to Goro’s leave before it got too dark. He found the boy to be a good conversationalist, which was surprising given his rowdy company of choice.

Shaking his head, those thoughts slowly went away. He couldn't afford to get distracted now. He had to figure how and why he was here… His mind was blank following his departure from cafe, which wasn't helpful in the least.

A dream perhaps?

No, he’d remember getting home at least. Wouldn't he?

Goro found himself staring down at his hands. A flicker of a thought ran through his mind, and one hand tugged off the glove of the other. The normal appearance of his hand laid nothing at ease, until his tilted so the palm faced down for other to have access to pinch some skin.

“Ack!”

The small jolt of pain was enough the affirm that he isn't dreaming. For now.

He shook his pinched hand in an attempt to erase the feeling before slipping the black glove back on.

There wasn't a lot he could do at this point. Too little information to take any reckless action. And for once, he wished he had the company of the PT so he wouldn't, at least, be stranded alone.

“Now what?” he whispers, as if one of the others could hear him. _Pointless._

He doesn't need their help anyway.

“Is something wrong?”

Goro immediately found himself turning around, mentally weary of the rather soft voice. His gaze would probably appear unnecessarily sharp to this woman who now stood before him.

She looked strangely familiar. Not in a sense that he met her before, but he has certainly seen something alike in her, or rather just someone similar. He could see worry in those dark eyes of hers. The concern that reflected in those eyes seemed genuine enough to at least relax his stiffened posture. He, however, remained silent, as his gaze trailed from her long dark brown hair down toー.

Oh.

By the woman’s feet was a child. A little girl who shyly hid behind the woman's leg with a volleyball held tightly in those small arms. Given the visual similarities between the two, they must be mother and daughter.

“It's dangerous to space out in the street,” she spoke again, chiding him even. “If you're lost then I'll be happy to help.”

Well, if this is the past thenー

“What's the date today?”

“March 27th? Why?” The confusion in her voice was unmistakable.

He was going to sound like an idiot. But it was necessary. “Of what year?”

The concern from earlier made a reappearance. Her brows knitted and her bottom lip looked a little pink from what could be her nervous habit of biting it while in thought. She stared at him for several moments, as if deciding something in her mind. “200X.”

The 27th of March in 200X. What did he do that day?

One thing he did know was that it was the month before _that_. Before his mother's suicide. There was one thing he recalled in this time. And that was when his mother took him to the art exhibit. They didn't stay long, but he had enjoyed it nonetheless. Probably. Those childhood memories of his remained blurry, hidden in the back of his mind.

He had to go check.

“The art show is today, isn't it?” he asked, his heart thumping in his chest.

He could feel himself shaking.

“Oh! Yes, I believe so. It's only noon so they should still be open as well.”

Confliction of running toward the gallery and running away swarmed his mind as his hands turned into fists, unsure where to place his roller coaster of emotions. Luckily the woman didn't notice his turmoil, and he proceeded to smile and thank her. The gesture seemed to relieve her, and she returned the smile with one of her own. Though hers was undoubtedly more sincere.

He waved goodbye to the pair, both mom and daughter head the opposite direction after waving one last time. It was then he realized he never got their names. Not that it mattered. He appreciated their help, but little else mattered aside from that.

One other thing he came to realize, is that he didn't ask about the gallery’s location. Goro could only hope it remained where it stands today, so to speak.

And turns out... It did.

The last time he came here was when he was investigating the strange occurrences due to the PT work. Even then he didn't bother staying long. Not that he really needed to. Sae ever so graciously gave him all the information he needed.

The door was easy to open; stepping inside and being hit with the gallery’s energy, however, was different than he remembered. Blurry images of adults walking about and praising artists was all he really could recall.

Goro felt out of place. He didn't hate art exhibits and the like. But he wasn't fond of them either. It was an earnest place.

With each step he took, he swore he could feel his heart race even faster.

Why was he here? What was he hoping for? Being stuck in the past like this, for all he knew it could be some metaverse trick. There was no guarantee that…

“It's time to go. We've been here long enough.”

The voice alone caused him to shake. Breathing suddenly became the most difficult thing on the planet. His throat felt tight, like he couldn't talk even if he wanted to.

He couldn't move.

The world around him seemed to blur. Was it dizziness? It was hard to tell at this point. All he could notice was his mother's figure coming closer. The surrounding noise seemed to disappear as the footsteps of his mother's heels replaced them.

It was deafening.

Fear and anxiety took over as he bolted from main hall, choosing to go deeper into the gallery to hide. He pressed himself against the wall, not caring about the strange looks he was getting from the other visitors as they did their best to avoid him. The more he pressed against the wall, the safer he felt oddly enough. He just needed to rest here for awhile to get his breathing on track. Possibly clean up the sweat he didn't realize he had earlier.

Pressing a hand to his head, he tried to stable himself. His mind going crazy with a million thoughts running through per second.

That's when he felt a something tug at his pants.

“Are you ok?”

That was the second time he has been asked that today. Except this time, he really wasn't.

Goro glanced down, recognizing the voice as a child's, with a smile in hope of putting them at ease. To his surprise, however, this child was someone he knew. And this time he was certain.

After all, that soft dark hair and those shining curious eyes could only belong to a young Kitagawa Yusuke.


	2. Any Reason

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goro comes upon a realization, but whether or not to act on it was another another story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> VERY LITTLE BABY YUSUKE AND I'M SORRY FOR THAT.
> 
> I had to set things up before anything could progress. Normally this would be dragged out since this event happened way to fast, but it helps with the plot and cause this thing will probably only be 10 chapters.
> 
> Also you can see where my writing got lazy.
> 
> Enjoy the least canon canonverse fic the world has to offer!

It's been one week since his sudden strange “journey" to the pastーif one could even call it thatーand there has still been no clue to understanding his abrupt appearance here. Not as to how or even why. Worse yet, no sign on how to get back home. 

One thing he knew for sure, was that he couldn't continue to stay in this dingy hotel. The ratty, questionable place wasn't even his first choice but his selections were limited. Goro initially chose the cheap option since he didn't think he'd be here for very long anyway. But alas, that was not the case. He'd have to find a different location to live.

Before that, however, it was time visit the child version of the fox phantom thief.

Upon their first meeting, the child comforted and accompanied him to the bathroom where he eventually calmed down. Yusuke was a sweet child and it was hard for him to believe all the rough things he went through, if he even remembered any of it. To think he smiled this much when he was little. He was fairly different from the teenager Goro knew today. Well, future today.

Given this, it meant having to find a way to talk to a different Yusuke. Small child Yusuke. Goro wasn't particularly an expert when it came to kids, including younger versions of his….teammates. His own childhood wasn't any better than the artist’s so he couldn't rely on that. Limited positive experience with children, from his own past to his present self, was proving to be biting him the ass right now.

In that one week following their first meeting, the detective spent most of it scouring the city and comparing it to the place he defaultly calls home. The game of spot of difference became almost a past time to ease his worries, if it didn't also remind him of the predicament he was in on the first place. Unfortunately, it also distracted him enough that he didn't think about what to say when he met up with little Yusuke?

Goro promised to play with him after he finished his lessons with his teacher. A fact that momentarily puzzled him until he realized he was referring art. In which case, he couldn't find a reason to decline, although it was more a promise made on a whim since he couldn't say no to those eyes. Now here he was, headed back toward the gallery to pick him up.

The gallery was starting to feel like a cursed place. It held memories for himself and Yusuke, both bright yet eventually led to pain.

_ Wait.  _ His mind froze when he came to a realization.  _ This is the point of time where Yusuke was already taken in by that plagiarizing artist.  _

In other words… 

“I can save him,” he whispered to himself, voice raspy and lined with a strange sense of hope.

Save him and give Yusuke the life Goro, himself, wanted. It was a selfish desire really, but he has been given the chance. He could think about his mother later. There's still a month left on her clock. Their clock. Right now he had to consider what to do about Yusuke. There may never be another chance to save the boy from what will eventually become trauma.

No. He had to think about this carefully. Even if he did manage to get Yusuke away from the sketchy old man, what would he do afterwards? Surely he couldn't raise the boy? There was no guarantee Goro would even be here for very long after that. Him simply existing in the same time as his child self was creating a paradox. It was highly probable that he would be stuck for a year at the most, which is definitely not enough time to take care of a child and raise them. Not to mention what affect this could happen on the future. Especially since it could determine what happens to Fox.

This was troubling indeed.

* * *

 

_ “Kitagawa, what was your childhood like?” _

_ “Quiet, mostly. Simple. I mainly just assisted and learned from Sensei whenever I could. He was harsh, but good to me. It was fun.” _

_ “Do you not resent him?” _

_ “...I do. However I don't regret everything I have learned from him.” _

_ “Why not? It was just all for the sake of using you?” _

_ “That's true. I can't deny that. But would mean I painted for him. For a time, maybe I did, but really, I paint for myself. I won't let his fake, fraud artistry destroy my love for my craft.” _

_ “You truly amaze me, Kitagawa.” _

* * *

 

With the decision to revisit the idea of taking in the child at the later time, Goro finally reached the gallery just shortly after one. It was closed. Through the clear doors, he could see the lights of the main room turned off. Instead, there were dim lights shining in the back. Naturally his detective curiosity got the better of him and before he noticed it, he way already posing open the door and slipping inside. He stepped lightly, weary of any possible sound that would give away his position. Goro took in a shaky breath as he inched closer to light source. It was coming from a backroom, the typical ‘Employee's Only’ plaque nailed on the door. 

However, whoever was inside definitely wasn't any employee.

The door was open just enough to let a small stream of light and sound reach him. By the annoyed tones and the heated attitudes, Goro could only assume it wasn't about anything good. A few words were tough to make out, but he did understand that someoneーwhose voice sounded familiarーwas angry over a client pulling out of a sale. It didn't take a detective to figure what kind of sales the conversation implied. 

He leaned closer, hoping to get a better understanding, when, again, he felt a tug on his clothes. When he looks over, he sees Yusuke staring up at him with worried eyes. 

“KitaーYusuke...kun. What are you doing here?”

“I was waiting for you,” the boy replies, picking up on the whispered tone. “You weren't at the entrance.”

Oh. He forgot about that. 

“I'm sorry,” Goro said and was surprised the sincerity in his own voice. “I didn't see you and got worried.”

Not exactly true, but not a complete lie either. Sort of.

“Oh… I was in the restroom.”

The detective's mind flashed back to the previous week, to his panic attack that led to Yusuke to comfort him and pat his back while singing some unfamiliar song. What would the Yusuke of his time do if he saw him like that?

“I see,” he replied, soft yet clipped. His mind was wandering the wrong direction again. “Did you have fun during lessons? It's strange to have them in a gallery, one would think.”

That seemed to make the boy smile. “No! We have them at home. He has a room for me to practice! After lessons on Saturdays we go out to get dinner but we always end up stopping by the gallery. Says he had business or something to take care of, and then we go eat. But since the gallery is closed today I told him I was going to meet a friend here and we came early.”

_ Strange, _ he thought to himself.  _ Why come here during closed times? _

“Ake-niisan?”

His thoughts came to a halt. Now was not the time to get suspicious. It's possible that Yusuke’s teacher haven't committed any crime yet. Maybe he could stop the man from making that mistake.

“You go, Yusuke-kun. I'll be right behind you.”

With a small nod, the child snuck away to wait by the door. Goro adjusts so he could follow after but the voices became loud enough for him to overhear. 

“It will work!”

“There's no guarantee, Madarame.”

“Listen, we can use Yusuke.”

“Yusuke? That kid you took in? I didn't think you'd stoop that low.”

“Not like that, you idiot. Yusuke has natural talent and incredible potential. He could possibly even be a prodigy.”

“That does sound promising.”

“I'll raise him into being the perfect tool.”

This man was a  _ monster.  _

Pushing off the wall, the detective snuck back toward the gallery entrance. He pulled the door and handle, greeted by the cool spring breeze and the smiling face of child Kitagawa Yusuke. This was a smile that spoke of innocence and happiness.

Such a smile would make one want to protect it.

Inside Goro felt...unsteady, various feelings churning with within. This wasn't any of his business. He could leave this alone. Let history run its course and keep the future intact. There was no reason for him to be doing this. 

Akechi Goro only needs to be looking out for himself.

“You must be him.”

He didn't realize how deep in thought he was until he heard the gruff voice from before. His eyes shifted from the child by his feet to the person that the world viewed as his guardian. The artistーor rather plagiaristーlooked slightly younger than his present self, though not by much, but Goro was sure that the rotten feeling he got from the man was the same. That fake grin made his skin crawl. It felt all too familiar, as it led to his own weariness around his so-called father. 

“Yes,” he affirmed, offering his hand. “My name is Akechi Goro. Yusuke-kun helped me put last weekend.”

One didn't need to be a detective to spot the judgemental look in the man's eyes as he gave the teenager's hand one shake before breaking away. “So I've been told. I'm glad you're doing well. Sometimes art can bring out unexpected reactions.”

It wasn't the art.

“As is the power it holds,” Goro replied in the vaguest way possible. “Thank you for letting me spend time with him. It's the least I could to thank Yusuke-kun for helping me out.”

“Yes. Yes. I appreciate it quite a bit. Some personal things have come up, so I hope you don't mind playing babysitter.”

Hold on a moment. Was Madarame saying that he was going to let Goro be alone with the kid? 

The detective didn't bother even trying to hide the frown that appeared due to the man's careless words. He couldn't believe this. Well, actually he could, but still. What kind of guardian leaves their charge with a stranger they have never met before and only spoke one sentence to? It couldn't have been more obvious how little he cared about Yusuke as a whole. Hell, if Madarame could, he probably would have pull the art talent out of the boy's body and toss the kid away.

The sweetness older Yusuke told him about likely happened when it was deemed necessary. Or at one point did the man actually care for him?

“No, I don't mind at all. He's a good kid.”  There was no point of overthinking it right now.

“In that case, I'll be going now. Please have him home before dinner.”

With each step Madarame took as he walked away, solidified his own resolve and he came to a decision. 

He was going to save Yusuke and expose Madarame for what he really see.

Yusuke deserved better than this.

All Goro needed was a plan...

Also he made a mental note to wash his gloves next chance he got.

“Can we go play now?” Yusuke asked, stealing back his attention.

A soft yet uncomfortable smile broke out and Goro reached out to grab the child's hand. “We can do whatever you want.”

And they did. 

Yusuke introduced him to a lot of games and they picked out what sounded more fun. They made a pact to sneak some ice cream after.

He did find it strange nonetheless. Him, a teenage detective, playing tag and drawing pictures on the ground with a kid. Normally he kept on his toes around the little things, as he has never been good with them. The detective could only assume it was due to the knowledge that it wasn't just any child, but that it was Yusuke. Nothing and no one in his life presented themselves as a good role model on how to work with kids. His father abandoned him. His mother committed suicide. Foster homes barely even cared about him. He had to grow up fast and fended for himself while awaiting the age which he could escape from the system. 

Now, thanks to his fame, he got by. However fame doesn't prepare one for kids. 

He could only hope that this Yusuke didn't notice how stiff he was around him. Though if he did, the boy certainly didn't say anything. Goro wasn't sure if that was due to perceptiveness or if his own acting skills increased. Either way, he needed to spend more time with the child and get closer to him and Maradame in order to execute a plan. He would bide his time until the right moment.

One last detail that needed to be fixed was finding a place to stay and get a part time job to pay the expenses that will come along with taking in Yusuke, not to mention paying for new art classes.

Instincts gave him the answer he needed. After he dropped Yusuke back off, Goro found himself at the doorsteps of his favorite cafe. With a smirk in light amusement, he pushed open the door and walked inside. 

“Welcome to Cafe Leblanc.”


End file.
